The Ashen Plains stretched out before them, vast and foreboding. The once vibrant landscape had been reduced to a barren, desolate wasteland, the ground cracked and scarred from years of dark magic. Every step Silas and Venom took seemed to echo in the unnatural silence, the oppressive weight of the cursed land pressing down on them. The cold wind carried a faint stench of decay, and the sky above was a perpetual gray, as if even the heavens had abandoned this forsaken place.

Silas glanced at Venom as they moved deeper into the plains, noting the tension in her posture. She was normally so composed, so unshakeable, but today there was something different about her—something he hadn’t seen before. Her eyes were sharp, scanning their surroundings, but he could tell her mind was elsewhere. It was as if the weight of the past was pressing down on her, and she was struggling to keep it at bay.

They walked in silence for a while, the eerie stillness of the plains amplifying the unease that clung to them. The landscape was a reflection of the world they had once known—broken, desolate, filled with darkness and pain. For Venom, it was a reminder of where she had come from, the streets she had once called home, and the life she had tried so hard to leave behind.

As they moved deeper into the ruined city, the decaying buildings looming around them like the skeletons of a forgotten past, Venom’s thoughts began to drift. The streets here reminded her too much of the slums of Sarenai—the place where she had grown up, the place where she had been forged into the assassin she had become.

Venom had been just a child when the war had taken everything from her. The city of Sarenai had once been a thriving metropolis, but by the time she was old enough to remember, it had been reduced to little more than a battleground, a place where survival was a constant struggle. Her parents had been caught in the crossfire of a conflict they had never wanted to be part of, leaving Venom to fend for herself in a world that had no mercy for the weak.

The slums were a world of their own—a place ruled by gangs and warlords, where violence was the only currency, and every day was a fight for survival. Venom had quickly learned how to navigate the treacherous streets, using her wits and speed to steal food, to hide, to survive. But survival alone wasn’t enough. She needed more—she needed power, control, a way to escape the helplessness that had haunted her since she was a child.

That was when The Black Lotus found her.

Led by Korran, a ruthless and cunning leader, The Black Lotus was one of the most feared gangs in the city. Korran ruled the slums with an iron fist, his name spoken in hushed tones by those who feared his wrath. He had built an empire on the backs of the desperate, and for him, Venom was just another tool—a weapon to be shaped and used.

Venom had been just a girl when she joined The Black Lotus, but even then, Korran had seen something in her. He saw the fire in her eyes, the anger, the desperation. He had taken her in, trained her, and molded her into an assassin. Under his tutelage, she had learned how to kill, how to fight, how to survive in a world that had no place for her. He had turned her into something deadly, something dangerous—and for a while, she had believed it was the only way.

Her first kill had been a test—Korran’s way of seeing if she had what it took to be part of his gang. The target had been a rival gang member, a man who had crossed Korran one too many times. Venom had followed him through the winding streets of the slums, her heart pounding in her chest as she clutched the dagger Korran had given her. When the moment came, when the man had turned down a dark alley, unaware of the girl lurking in the shadows, Venom had struck. The blade had sunk into his back, the sound of his choking gasp filling the narrow alleyway as his blood spilled onto the ground.

She had stood there for what felt like hours, staring at the lifeless body, the weight of what she had done pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket. But then Korran had appeared, his voice cold and approving.

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“Well done,” he had said, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “You’ve proven yourself.”

And from that moment on, there had been no turning back.

The Black Lotus became her family, and Korran, her twisted mentor. The gang operated in the shadows, taking on jobs that no one else would—assassinations, theft, extortion. Venom had become one of Korran’s most trusted assassins, her reputation growing with each kill. But the more she killed, the more she felt herself slipping away. The streets had stolen her childhood, and now, they were stealing her soul.

Korran had a way of making her feel like she owed him everything. He had given her power, control, a place in a world that had no place for her. But as the years went by, Venom began to see the truth. Korran didn’t care about her—he didn’t care about anyone. She was just another tool, another pawn in his endless game of power and control.

The gang thrived on fear and loyalty, and Korran made sure both were in constant supply. He was a man of contradictions—calculating, yet prone to moments of explosive cruelty. He kept his lieutenants close with promises of riches and power, but those who dared cross him were made examples of in ways that left scars—literal and otherwise. Venom had seen the bodies of those who had defied him, left out in the open as a warning to anyone else who might think of betrayal. Korran had no mercy, no compassion. He was a monster, and Venom knew it.

The night Venom decided to leave was the night everything changed.

She had been sent on another mission, another assassination—just one more in a long line of kills. But something inside her had snapped. She couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t kill for Korran, for a man who saw her as nothing more than a weapon to be used and discarded. The weight of all the lives she had taken, all the blood she had spilled, was crushing her.

So, she made her choice. She ran.

But running from The Black Lotus wasn’t easy. Korran had eyes everywhere, and the moment Venom disappeared, he had sent his men after her. She had fought her way through the streets, her daggers flashing in the moonlight as she cut down anyone who stood in her way. But no matter how fast she ran, no matter how many of Korran’s men she killed, she couldn’t escape him.

Korran had caught up to her in an alleyway, just like the one where she had made her first kill. He had cornered her, his face twisted in a cruel smile as he approached.

“You think you can run from me, girl?” Korran had sneered, his voice cold and mocking. “You belong to me. You always have.”

Venom had fought him, but Korran was stronger, faster. He had knocked her to the ground, his hand wrapped around her throat as he pinned her down.

“There’s no escaping this life,” he had whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “The only way out is death.”

Venom had stared up at him, her vision blurring as the world around her darkened. She had thought she was going to die that night, that Korran would end her life just as he had ended so many others. But something inside her had refused to give up. She had kicked him off, her dagger slicing across his cheek as she scrambled to her feet. She had run, bleeding and broken, but she had run.

And that was when the Aegis Guild had found her.

Venom’s voice was quiet as she recounted the story to Silas, the memories coming back in vivid detail. “I thought I was going to die that night,” she said, her eyes distant. “But the guild… they saved me. They gave me a second chance.”

Silas listened, his expression serious. He had known pieces of her story, but hearing it now, hearing the pain in her voice, made it all the more real.

“I ran too,” he said after a long pause, his voice low. “Not from the same kind of life, but from everything else. My family, their expectations… I thought running would give me freedom, but it just made me feel more lost.”

They walked in silence for a while, the weight of their shared pasts pressing down on them.

“You know what’s funny?” Silas said, his voice lighter, though still serious. “We both ran from the lives we hated. We thought we’d be free, but we ended up here, with each other.”

Venom looked at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Guess we’re both good at running.”

“Yeah,” Silas agreed, his own smile breaking through. “But maybe we’re done running now.”

They had both escaped the lives that had tried to break them, but they had found something better in each other. They had found something worth fighting for. And as they stood together in the ruined city, the weight of their pasts hanging over them, they knew that whatever came next, they would face it together.

But in the back of Venom’s mind, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Korran wasn’t done with her yet. She had heard rumors, whispers of The Black Lotus moving, expanding their reach. She knew Korran wouldn’t let her go so easily. He had always been a man who believed in settling old scores, and Venom had no doubt that he would come for her one day.

For now, though, she had Silas. And for the first time in a long time, that was enough.